Virginia TechGovernance Minutes Archive

October 21, 1993

DRAFT
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Staff Senate
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
Thursday, October 21, 1993
Room 102 - Phase II - Veterinary Medicine
Senators Present: Bill Aliff, Carolyn Alls, Pat Ballard, Sheila
Blankenship, Janet Bryant, David Carper, Joann Craven, Judy Davis,
Marge Dellers, Patrick Donohoe, Jamie Evans, Les Fuller, Leslie
Graham, Betty Greene, Mary Holliman, Lisa Jansen, Roy Jones, Diane
Kaufman, Julia King, Richard Lovegrove, Don Massie, Sherilyn
McConnell, Bhaba Misra, Valerie Myers, Diane Patty, Mary
Pennington, Carlile Price, Peggy Rasnick, Wyatt Sasser, Lynne
Schaefermeyer, Widget Shannon, Chuck Shorter, Charlie Stott, Tony
Sutphin, Sarah Wheeler
Alternates Present: Nancy Lang for Deb Williams, Karen Strickler
for Patty Hall, Lorie Sumpter for Sherri Turner
Guests: Netta Eisler
Call to Order
Meeting was called to order at 5:40 PM by President McConnell.
Announcements:
President McConnell got a chance to talk with President James
McComas before he left campus. She expressed the Staff Senate's
appreciation for his efforts and support and wished him well in
his fight against cancer. She also talked to Acting President
Torgeson and indicated to him that if there was any way that the
Staff Senate could assist him, please call upon us. He
indicated that he would do so.
President McConnell encouraged senators and their constituents to
exercise their privilege to vote.
Committee appointments - President's Award for Excellence
nomination forms have gone out and President McConnell has copies
of the guidelines and the nomination forms. Senator Massie will
represent the Staff Senate on the Review Committee.
President McConnell apologized for the error on the agenda, and
stated that the correct date for the meeting is October 21, rather
than September 16. Also, Tony Sutphin's name should be deleted,
and Deb Williams' name should be added to the Ad Hoc Smoking
Subcommittee. Senator Lovegrove has also been added to the
subcommittee because Senator Bryant will be unable to attend the
meetings.
Approval of Minutes
The Minutes of the September 16, 1993, Staff Senate meeting were
approved with no additions or corrections.
University Councils, Commissions, Committee Reports
The Communications Committee met October 6. Senator Sutphin has
forwarded the updated list of staff senators and alternates to
Personnel so that the information given during new employee
orientation will be correct. They revisited once again the
question about the ongoing move to computer networks. Senator
Lovegrove has talked to John Ashby about getting an article in the
Spectrum. They discussed senators not communicating effectively
with their constituents. They are going to look at putting
together a list of helpful hints or suggestions for senators.
The Nominations and Elections Committee last met on September 11.
There will be a critical mailing going out soon to provide an
opportunity for classified staff members to have their names put
into nomination for vacancies in the governance system. Senator
Patty stated that they received 55 names last year. They have
revised the document slightly from last year and the committee will
send it to local associations and ask chairs to get it to all staff
in their area.
The document is lengthy, but the committee decided to give an in-
depth description of the Committees, etc. to cut down on confusion
and questions. The nominations should be given to the association
chair by the end of November, then the chair will forward them to
the Committee. This process should save a lot of nominations from
the floor next spring. Senator Patty asked senators to encourage
their local association chairs to distribute and follow up on them.
Policies and Issues - Senator Murray was unable to attend senate
meeting. No report was available.
Parking/Transportation Committee - Senator Shannon stated that
she has a concern as to why the graduate students were given
special parking privileges when it was not approved through
the senate. She questioned whether administration had made the
decision without going through the governance system. President
McConnell stated that they did not get the privileges --
Faculty/Staff stickers -- that they asked for. Instead, they got
special spaces in the commuter lots for the GTA's to park when
they are teaching. McConnell said she did not know who made
the decision. Senator Ballard added that this is for a trial
period and that the situation is being monitored.
Strategic Budgeting and Planning Committee - Senator Stott and
Senator Greene accompanied President McConnell for two days of
meetings at Mountain Lake. The meeting covered all colleges and
vice-presidential areas, the 1.5 percent reduction plan, Phase II
accomplishments, and requests for re-allocated resources. The
Budget Committee will meet again on October 22 and address
these areas.
Old Business
Last spring, Senator Cox brought the issue of a Commission on
Administrative and Professional faculty to the floor. The issue
was tabled and it remained tabled. A motion was made and seconded
to bring the proposal back to the floor. Senator Ballard asked for
clarification of the purpose of this commission. The proposal was
to consider forming the commission and to offer support. The 637
administrative and professional faculty members currently have no
form of representation.
Senator Patty stated that Senator Cox's resolution that night was
to ask for representation on the commission, not to establish a new
commission. Senator Patty asked for clarification. Senator
McConnell stated that it had already been voted on by University
Council, even though we had not approved it. A motion was made to
bring it off the table. Motion was seconded and carried. Motion
was made to approve the formation of this commission. The motion
was seconded and carried with one opposed. Senator Aliff stated
that he did not see a need for administrative faculty.
Ad Hoc Smoking Committee - Senator Foster was unable to attend
senate meeting. McConnell reported that had he been here he would
not have had a formal report. Senator Donohoe commented that they
have met several times over the past month. They have met with
Harley Ashe and Zach Adams and discussed some of the problems.
They are scheduled to meet again October 27. The committee
should have something to report by next senate meeting. Senator
Sutphin shared this issue with his association and received 57
responses. He was also given a petition signed by 37 people in
Burruss concerning second-hand smoke. They also had very
strong feelings that they wished to be passed along to the
committee. President McConnell clarified that smoking was not the
issue.
New Business
If we wish to do a Christmas service project someone will need to
chair it. Senator Holliman asked for clarification on what we
mean by Christmas service project. McConnell stated that last
year senate collected money and necessary items for an elderly
lady and the year before they adopted a family with several
children to help with needed items, Christmas gifts, etc.
Senator Evans stated that he would rather see it done on a
departmental level rather than to try to spread ourselves too thin.
He suggested that we encourage our departments to take on a
Christmas service project.
A motion was made and seconded that Staff Senate encourage the
smaller units to take on a Christmas service project. Senator
Evans asked if there was a source for the units to go for
information. President McConnell stated that she could refer people
to several agencies in the New River Valley that would be able to
work with them to identify families in need. Senator Sasser asked
what form senate's encouragement should take. It will appear in
the minutes of the senate, it might appear in the Spectrum, and
senators should go back to their areas and support the project. The
motion carried.
Discussion of performance evaluation process -- President
McConnell has received several profs messages from staff members
who are concerned that the evaluation process did not follow the
correct procedures. Apparently, in some areas supervisors were
encouraged not to give exceptional ratings to their employees
because higher-up supervisors wanted to give the exceptional rating
to another employee, thereby guaranteeing, as much as possible,
that that employee would get the three-step increase.
Senator Sutphin wanted senators to be aware that there was a
well-written article in the Spectrum concerning the evaluations.
He stated that his association is looking at a two-way
evaluation. Jim Wolfe thought this was a good idea.
Senator Fuller stated that he had a good evaluation process,
but that he got the feeling that some supervisors believed
employees should have to walk on water to get an exceptional
rating. Senator Donohoe said he heard that you not only had to
walk on water, but do cartwheels and work a 60-hour work week.
Senator Stott stated that there were several things that were
brought to his attention. There were some departments that were
giving a large number of exceptionals to give several employees
a chance at the three-step increase. The opposite side of that was
that there are supervisors who think that there are no exceptional
employees. Personnel services did a good job in trying to do
training. The good supervisors took advantage of it and the ones
who didn't care did not. Stott would appreciate any input so that
he can take it back to University Council.
Senator Evans looked at the differences between last year's
evaluation and this year's. The problem he had was that only a few
of the people who got exceptional are going to be rewarded. That
was a problem in his area. Not all the exceptionals are going to
be treated equally.
Senator Holliman stated that the Development and University
Relations Staff Association discussed the problem. In one area, the
supervisor rated them high last year because he couldn't give them
anything else. This year there is money tied to it and the ratings
went down. The employees had a bad feeling because their job
performance had not changed but their rating scale was different.
Senator Lovegrove stated that people were getting downgraded from
exceeds to meets expectations. He would like to see some sort of
statistical analysis.
Senator Sasser stated that this is not the first year for the
program, it is the third. Things ran smoothly until money was tied
to it. He heard that you won't be notified how many steps you got,
you will just have to figure it out on your paycheck. Senator
Greene said the dean's offices and the administrative offices will
be notified the middle of November and they can contact the
department heads.
President McConnell asked if the check stubs would say
"Congratulations, you got three steps."
Senator Stott made a motion that we invite Personnel Services to
come explain the statistics and changes. The problem is that we
don't know how quickly the statistics will be available. They may
not be available by the November meeting.
Senator Misra felt that we should wait and invite them after they
get the statistics, rather than them coming here without them.
The motion was seconded. Senator Holliman made an amendment that
we invite them to come and explain the statistics after we have
had a chance to review the statistics. Motion was seconded.
Senator Lovegrove stated that we are getting ahead of ourselves.
It is fine to have the statistics for our associations to review,
but we should wait to see if we have questions before we invite
them.
Senator Ballard agreed and said that after reviewing the
statistics, we would have a better idea of what information we
would need Personnel to bring.
Senator Aliff questioned why they couldn't be published in
Spectrum for broader access. The motion to ask for the statistics
passed 20-10.
McConnell asked if Stott had a month in mind for this meeting.
Shannon stated that the December meeting a lot of senators will
gone. We can request the material in November before the senate
meeting.
A Senator questioned if those rated exceptional were going to
be acknowledged publicly. The Senator feels like a criminal because
they are getting it and do not want the names published.
Senator Schaefermeyer questioned whether they are going to
acknowledge all exceptionals or just the exceptionals that got the
3-step increase.
Senator Craven stated that after we receive the statistics,
that maybe there could be a committee
formed to make the process uniform Universitywide. President
McConnell stated that the process would have to be modified
statewide, not just at this University.
Senator Ballard wondered whether the performance evaluation is
disliked by the other state agencies.
Senator Aliff heard a state police captain say that 15 percent of
state police employees got three-step increases, and he questioned
why Virginia Tech only got 8 percent.
President McConnell stated that if we wanted a 15% increase, it would
have to be funded locally and there just is not money available.
Senator Rasnick asked how you were supposed to show your shared
governance service for the evaluation. McConnell stated that there
was not a place to list committees, etc. Employees should document
their service and present it to the supervisor prior to evaluation.
Senator Stott wondered how many people had comments on their
evaluation that they did participate in the governance system.
Nine people indicated that they did have some reference to their
participation.
Senator Shannon asked how many people got to rate themselves and
give it to their supervisors. Six indicated that they did their
own evaluations for their supervisors to sign.
Senator Supthin stated that he feels that we should table this
until we have the statistics.
Senator Rasnick expressed concern that the registration form she
completed to attend the governance training activity requested
her race. She questioned why it was important. President McConnell
replied that it was for record keeping purposes only. She added
that there was an orientation last year; the same will be conducted
this year. If you are a new senator this year, and you have not
been invited to the session, please contact Cornel Morton.
Misra stated that he believes there to be a misconception that
staff members think that they cannot chair a committee. Stott
responded that it is his understanding that the only one that staff
cannot chair is the Commission on Faculty Affairs. Classified staff
can chair any of the other commissions.
Motion was made and seconded to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at
6:50 PM.